Privacy commissioner objects to recommendation passed Thursday by the Toronto police board — and so do some TCH tenants.

Gene Jones, then head of Toronto Community Housing, visits a TCH property in Flemingdon Park last year, with a security cameras monitoring the elevator. Toronto's police board wants easier access to those cameras' images.

The police board wants the Toronto force to have routine access to images captured by CCTV cameras on Toronto Community Housing property where more than 160,000 people live.

The recommendation was one of many contained in a year-long TCHC safety and security task force report initiated by board member Frances Nunziata that passed at a meeting Thursday.

If the housing provider agrees, police could have the same access to images that they already have on the TTC, where a memorandum of understanding between the police board and the transit agency gives them remote access “for investigative purposes” to live or recorded images from CCTV cameras located throughout the system.

The move by the board came as a shock to Ontario’s Privacy Commissioner Ann Cavoukian, who brokered the force’s original agreement with the TTC, but wasn’t aware of the latest recommendation.

“It is such an erroneous and alarming oversimplification to claim that the precedent of TTC cameras on subway platforms is the same as around your home,” she said. “There’s a substantial difference between cameras on subway platforms and cameras around personal residences of Torontonians. That’s what I object to.”

The privacy commissioner says police regularly consult with her office on matters relating to CCTV cameras as well as carding, and was surprised that didn’t happen this time around.

Cavoukian asked Stephen McCammon, her office’s legal council, to intervene at the meeting

“I came here post-haste this afternoon to give you a strong push to stand down on these recommendations,” McCammon told board members.

Instead, the board passed the recommendation after adding language that said the images collected must comply with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, a stipulation that also applies in the memorandum with the TTC.

Currently, if police want to obtain images from TCHC cameras, they must sign a form that verifies a section of the privacy act that stipulates the images must “aid an investigation undertaken with a view to a law enforcement proceeding or from which a law enforcement proceeding is likely to result.”

The housing provider has cameras on the exterior of buildings as well as in common areas such as lobbies or even hallways, depending on the building.

Nunziata said the suggestion for police to be able to access the cameras more quickly came from a TCHC security employee who sat on the task force, but has now left.

The councillor said some of the residents who were consulted by her group described being “petrified” to live in their own public housing buildings.

Others who attended the meeting said the cameras would add to the distrust that many youth in public housing already have of police.

“It infringes on the privacy of residents, criminalizes their space and does not empower or involve residents in improving security in their community,” said Zakaria Abdulle, who has lived in Lawrence Heights his whole life.

Task force members included Nunziata; Alok Mukherjee, chair of the police board; Gene Jones, the former TCHC CEO; Deputy Chief Peter Sloly; Lekan Olowaye who is the executive director of For Youth Initiative; as well as tenant representatives, MPPs from the area and city staff.

The report also contained recommendations to improve safety by creating partnerships with agencies already working in TCHC, to make some buildings seniors-only and to ask the ministry of health to provide funding for more programming.

The task force is also seeking to create an exception under the municipal privacy act so that Toronto police can share information with the housing provider about incidents on their property and to look for ways to evict tenants more quickly where warranted.

“I’m very proud of the recommendations we’ve been able to bring forward,” said Mukherjee. “We should support it and allow it to go the next steps.”

A spokesperson for the housing provider said the task force recommendations have not yet been considered by Toronto Community Housing's Board of Directors.

“Residents are at the heart of everything we do, and Toronto Community Housing will continue our commitment to protect the privacy of our residents,” said spokesperson Sara Goldvine in an email. “As stated in our policy, Toronto Community Housing recognizes that the use of CCTV systems must balance safety needs and a resident's reasonable expectation of privacy.”

At Toronto Community Housing’s Alexandra Park community, near Dundas St. W. and Spadina Ave., signs notifying people that video surveillance is present are prominently displayed on walls near walkways, the community centre and common areas around tenants’ residences.

Residents interviewed Thursday night say police should have to give reasons to obtain footage. They said it shouldn’t be handed over automatically with no questions asked.

Savannah Lavallee, 16, said police need to realize that the security cameras are set up close to people’s homes.

“This is where somebody lives. They shouldn’t have to be looking over their shoulder every second. Certain things happen. But I don’t see why the police shouldn’t have to say why they need it. It shouldn’t be immediate access.”

Victor Sousa, a 38-year resident of Alexandra Park, said granting easy access to footage could lead to tensions between residents and police.

“For me, to be honest with you, I wouldn’t allow it. It’s not right. It gives the police an opportunity to know everything about us, that’s basically what it is. You need your own privacy . . . . I’m sure you want your privacy. I’m not a criminal but I don’t want the police to know what’s going on with me.”

“I would say this could only create problems.”

Elizabeth Dewar, 35, said police should have unfettered access to video if there’s been a homicide or other serious incident. “If there’s a shooting or something, they should be able to access it.”

Dewar added, however, that she doesn’t think freer access to the video would deter criminal activity.

With files from Paul Moloney

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